Cooling coaster

ABSTRACT

A cooling coaster includes a coaster body and an internal reservoir. The coaster body has an upper face, a lower face, a plurality of side faces between the upper and lower faces and a stabilizing structure. There is a lip at the upper face. A port communicates between the internal reservoir and one of the faces. A plug is configured to selective seal the port. A cooling substance is provided to the internal reservoir. A method for cooling a beverage includes providing a coaster body having an upper face, a lower face, and a plurality of side faces between the upper and lower faces, through a port, supplying a cooling substance to an internal reservoir in the coaster body and placing a plug in the port to seal the internal reservoir.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/032,597 filed on 2020 May 30, pending, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to cooling beverages and/or keeping cold beverages cold.

SUMMARY

The disclosure describes a cooling coaster. The cooling coaster includes a coaster body and an internal reservoir. The coaster body has an upper face, a lower face, a plurality of side faces between the upper and lower faces and a stabilizing structure. There is a lip at the upper face. A port communicates between the internal reservoir and one of the faces. A plug is configured to selective seal the port. A cooling substance is provided to the internal reservoir.

The disclosure also describes a system for cooling a beverage. The system includes a coaster body, a bore through the coaster body and an internal reservoir. The coaster body includes an upper face, a lower face, and a plurality of side faces between the upper and lower faces. A depression is formed in the upper face. A port communicates between the internal reservoir and one of the faces. A plug is configured to selective seal the port. A cooling substance is provided to the internal reservoir.

Further, the disclosure describes a method for cooling a beverage. The method includes providing a coaster body having an upper face, a lower face, and a plurality of side faces between the upper and lower faces, through a port, supplying a cooling substance to an internal reservoir in the coaster body and placing a plug in the port to seal the internal reservoir.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The summary above, as well as the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the disclosure, example constructions are shown in the drawings. However, the disclosure is not limited to specific methods and instrumentalities disclosed herein. Moreover, those having ordinary skill in the art will understand that the drawings are not to scale. Wherever possible, like elements have been indicated by identical numbers.

Embodiments of the disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following diagrams wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a top perspective view of an example cooling coaster.

FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of the example cooling coaster of FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 illustrates a front view of the example cooling coaster of FIGS. 1 & 2.

FIG. 4 illustrates a sectional view of the example cooling coaster of FIGS. 1-3 along lines 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 illustrates a bottom view of the example cooling coaster of FIGS. 1-4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description illustrates embodiments of the disclosure and manners by which they can be implemented. Although the preferred mode of carrying out disclosed coasters, beverage cooling systems and methods has been described, those of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that other embodiments for carrying out or practicing disclosed coasters, beverage cooling systems and methods are also possible.

It should be noted that the terms “first”, “second”, and the like, herein do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another. Further, the terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item.

Known beverage coasters do not cool beverages as they are consumed and allow the beverages to warm up to ambient temperature making them unpleasant to drink. Additionally, they are often discarded after a single use.

Embodiments of the disclosure provide systems including a beverage coaster that acts to maintain the temperature of a beverage resting thereon while being compact, efficient, reusable, environmentally friendly, affordable and multifunctional. Disclosed systems are suitable for holding and cooling any of a variety of beverage vessels including but not limited to cups, aluminum cans, bottles and glasses.

Additional aspects, advantages, features and objects of the disclosure will be made apparent from the drawings and the detailed description of the illustrative embodiments construed in conjunction with the appended claims that follow. It will be appreciated that described features are susceptible to being combined in various combinations without departing from the scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

FIGS. 1-5 illustrate an example system for cooling a beverage. The system may be implemented as a cooling substance 200 (FIG. 4) and a cooling coaster 100 having a coaster body, shell or casing 120 with an internal reservoir 121.

Coaster body 120 has an upper face 122, a lower face 123, one or more side faces 124 between the upper and lower faces and a stabilizing structure. While coaster body 120 may exhibit any of a variety of dimensions, in an example, the coaster body has a width of about 102 mm, a height of about 102 mm and a depth of about 29 mm. Coaster body 120 may be formed from an of a plurality of durable, washable, non-toxic materials including but not limited to one or more plastics. In an example, coaster body 120 includes polyethylene. In a preferred example, coaster body 120 includes high density polyethylene.

The stabilizing structure may include a bore, portal or window 125 through coaster body 120 configured to reinforce coaster body 120 against warping. Window 125 may be provided through upper and lower faces 122 and 123 at a central zone of coaster body 120. In an example, window 125 has a circular cross-section and/or exhibits the shape of a circular cylinder. Window 125 may take any of a variety of dimensions suitable for reinforcing or stabilizing coaster body 120 while leaving sufficient contact area at upper face 122 to cool a beverage and/or beverage vessel supported on upper face 122. In an example, window 125 measures 20 mm in diameter. While described as including a bore, the stabilizing structure includes its own wall closing internal reservoir 121 to the environment.

There is a lip or edge 127 a at the upper face 122. Lip 127 a may be provided as a depression 126 formed in upper face 122. While depression 126 may take any of a variety of shapes complimentary to beverage vessels and suitable for preventing the sliding thereof relative to upper surface 122, in an example, depression 126 has a circular cross-section and/or exhibits the shape of a circular cylinder. While depression 126 may take any of a variety of dimensions complimentary to beverage vessels and suitable for preventing the sliding thereof relative to upper surface 122, in an example, depression 126 measures about 63 mm in diameter with about a 7 mm depth.

A second lip or raised edge 127 b may be provided to lower face 123. While the raised edge 127 b may take any of a variety of shapes complimentary to beverage vessels and suitable for preventing the sliding thereof relative to lower surface 123, in an example, raised edge 127 b follows the perimeter of lower surface 123. In a further example, the depression formed interior to raised edge 127 b may take a generally rectangular shape with rounded corners. While the depression formed interior to raised edge 127 b may take any of a variety of dimensions complimentary to beverage vessels and suitable for preventing the sliding thereof relative to lower surface 123, in an example, the depression measures about 90 mm by about 90 mm with about a 7 mm depth.

Internal reservoir 121 may be formed between the upper, lower and side faces. A port 128 communicates between internal reservoir 121 and one of the faces. In an example, port 128 may communicate between internal reservoir 121 and one of side faces 124. While port 128 may take any of a variety of dimensions suitable for supporting the introduction of one or more flowable or partially flowable substances to internal reservoir 121, in an example, port 128 measures 7 mm in diameter. A plug 129 is configured to selectively seal port 128.

A cooling substance 160 is provided to internal reservoir 121. Cooling substance 160 may be provided as or otherwise include any of a plurality of gels suitable for freezing in a residential freezer and maintaining a frozen state for one or more hours while sinking heat by conduction. Suitable gels include but are not limited to non-toxic gels, sodium salts and super high absorbency polymers. In a preferred example, the cooling substance includes sodium polyacrylate.

According to a method for cooling a beverage, a coaster body is provided having an upper face, a lower face, and a plurality of side faces between the upper and lower faces. Through a port in the provided coaster body, a cooling substance is supplied to an internal reservoir in the coaster body and a plug is placed in the port to seal the internal reservoir.

The method may further include subjecting the cooling substance-supplied coaster body to a freezing environment and withdrawing the cooling substance-supplied coaster body from the freezing environment. The provided coaster body may be stabilized against warping or bubbling during freezing and possible expansion of provided cooling substances.

With the cooling substance at a freezing temperature the cooling substance-supplied coaster body may be placed on a support surface such as a table. Heat is conducted from a beverage vessel towards the coaster body and cooling substance by bringing the beverage vessel into contact with the coaster body, for example, by placing the beverage vessel in the depression and/or against a lip or edge of the depression.

The cooling substance-supplied coaster body may be repeatedly subjected to the freezing environment. When necessary, for example, after degradation of the cooling substance or contamination thereof, the cooling substance may be drained from the coaster body at a temperature above the freezing point of the substance.

The actions described above are only illustrative and other alternatives can also be provided where one or more actions are added, one or more actions are removed, or one or more actions are provided in a different sequence without departing from the scope of the claims herein.

Embodiments of the disclosure are susceptible to being used for various purposes, including, though not limited to, enabling users to keep beverages colder longer while they are being consumed.

Modifications to embodiments of the disclosure described in the foregoing are possible without departing from the scope of the disclosure as defined by the accompanying claims. Expressions such as “including”, “comprising”, “incorporating”, “consisting of”, “have”, “is” used to describe and claim disclosed features are intended to be construed in a non-exclusive manner, namely allowing for items, components or elements not explicitly described also to be present. Reference to the singular is also to be construed to relate to the plural. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A cooling coaster, comprising: a coaster body having an upper face, a lower face, a plurality of side faces between the upper and lower faces and a stabilizing structure; a lip at the upper face; an internal reservoir; a port communicating between the internal reservoir and one of the faces; a plug configured to selective seal the port; and a cooling substance provided to the internal reservoir.
 2. The cooling coaster as set forth in claim 1, wherein the stabilizing structure includes a window through the coaster body.
 3. The cooling coaster as set forth in claim 2, wherein the window is provided to a central zone of the coaster body.
 4. The cooling coaster as set forth in claim 1, wherein the lip is provided as a depression.
 5. The cooling coaster as set forth in claim 1, wherein the port communicates between the internal reservoir and one of the side faces.
 6. The cooling coaster as set forth in claim 1, wherein the coaster body is formed from a plastic.
 7. The cooling coaster as set forth in claim 1, wherein the coaster body is formed from polyethylene.
 8. The cooling coaster as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cooling substance comprises non-toxic gel.
 9. The cooling coaster as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cooling substance includes sodium polyacrylate.
 10. A system for cooling a beverage, comprising: a coaster body having an upper face, a lower face, and a plurality of side faces between the upper and lower faces; a bore through the coaster body; a depression in the upper face; an internal reservoir; a port communicating between the internal reservoir and one of the faces; and a cooling substance provided to the internal reservoir.
 11. The system as set forth in claim 10, wherein the bore is provided through the upper and lower faces.
 12. The system as set forth in claim 10, further comprising a plug configured to selectively seal the port.
 13. A method for cooling a beverage, comprising: providing a coaster body having an upper face, a lower face, and a plurality of side faces between the upper and lower faces; through a port, supplying a cooling substance to an internal reservoir in the coaster body; and placing a plug in the port to seal the internal reservoir.
 14. The method as set forth in claim 13, further comprising: subjecting the cooling substance-supplied coaster body to a freezing environment; and withdrawing the cooling substance-supplied coaster body from the freezing environment.
 15. The method as set forth in claim 14, further comprising repeating the subjecting the cooling substance-supplied coaster body to the freezing environment.
 16. The method as set forth in claim 13, further comprising conducting heat from a beverage vessel to the coaster body.
 17. The method as set forth in claim 16, wherein conducting heat from the beverage vessel further comprises bringing the beverage vessel into contact with the coaster body.
 18. The method as set forth in claim 13, further comprising draining the cooling substance from the coaster body at a temperature above the freezing point of the substance.
 19. The method as set forth in claim 13, wherein supplying the cooling substance further comprises supplying sodium polyacrylate.
 20. The method as set forth in claim 13, wherein supplying the cooling substance further comprises supplying a non-toxic gel. 